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The structure located at 18 Holland St. West is a unique, infill building. It was built in the Boomtown style around the 1890’s on a narrow lot that was originally a laneway the two adjacent buildings. It had a side entrance to the Queen’s Hotel so that teamsters and buggy patrons could get their drinks from the Queen’s after work. The owner of the building erected at this site only has the title to the ceilings, floors, and front and rear walls. The side walls belong to the neighbouring buildings. The one-storey storefront has a ‘false’ façade and a narrow, rectangular plan with an asymmetrical organization. An asymmetrical façade with a ‘boomtown’ front was common to small, rural, commercial buildings. The flat roof (built-up tar and gravel) with a high parapet was intended to make the façade appear more imposing and substantial. A recessed, grade-level entrance provides shelter for the doorway. The original entrance had a transom light over the door which was later covered with solid panelling. The entrance door is not original. A large, storefront, window bay dominates the façade at street level and maximizes the amount of area available to display merchandise. The window is not original. When the building was inventoried in 2000, a decorated parapet had a double band of brick corbelling near the top with two recessed panels of decorative brick below. The building had masonry construction with brick cladding and roof spans between the exterior side walls of the adjacent buildings. The panelling above the front window replaced the original signage panel. It noted that and the original brick would have been unpainted and that the building is in good condition.
Several businesses have been located here over the years, including a smoke shop run by Fred “Colly” Collings (and later, by Oswald Davey). Mr. Willoughby, a tailor, and his son Vincent moved to the area from Sutton. He worked for Al Hemock. Lorne Fines later took possession of the building and ran a jewellery shop here until he retired. Jack McKay, a veterinarian, then bought the structure and had his practice here. In more recent years, it became an ice cream parlour. (1, 2, 3)

The structure located at 18 Holland St. West is a unique, infill building. It was built in the Boomtown style around the 1890’s on a narrow lot that was originally a laneway the two adjacent buildings. It had a side entrance to the Queen’s Hotel so that teamsters and buggy patrons could get their drinks from the Queen’s after work. The owner of the building erected at this site only has the title to the ceilings, floors, and front and rear walls. The side walls belong to the neighbouring buildings. The one-storey storefront has a ‘false’ façade and a narrow, rectangular plan with an asymmetrical organization. An asymmetrical façade with a ‘boomtown’ front was common to small, rural, commercial buildings. The flat roof (built-up tar and gravel) with a high parapet was intended to make the façade appear more imposing and substantial. A recessed, grade-level entrance provides shelter for the doorway. The original entrance had a transom light over the door which was later covered with solid panelling. The entrance door is not original. A large, storefront, window bay dominates the façade at street level and maximizes the amount of area available to display merchandise. The window is not original. When the building was inventoried in 2000, a decorated parapet had a double band of brick corbelling near the top with two recessed panels of decorative brick below. The building had masonry construction with brick cladding and roof spans between the exterior side walls of the adjacent buildings. The panelling above the front window replaced the original signage panel. It noted that and the original brick would have been unpainted and that the building is in good condition.
Several businesses have been located here over the years, including a smoke shop run by Fred “Colly” Collings (and later, by Oswald Davey). Mr. Willoughby, a tailor, and his son Vincent moved to the area from Sutton. He worked for Al Hemock. Lorne Fines later took possession of the building and ran a jewellery shop here until he retired. Jack McKay, a veterinarian, then bought the structure and had his practice here. In more recent years, it became an ice cream parlour. (1, 2, 3)

"Bradford Mayor Roy Gordon (left) presents Charles Evans with the Queen's Jubilee medal for his many years of service to the town. A fervent royalist, Mr. Evans thanked former clerk-treasurer Margaret Davey, and former assessor Fred Collings for their support. Mr. Evans, a former Reeve of Bradford, is a Queen's Counsel, and practices law with the firm Evans and Evans."

Contains news clippings and articles on various people of Bradford West Gwillimbury

Written on back of photograph:

"Colly at Smoke Shop"
"Fred Collie Collings Smoke Shop Holland St. W"
(Next to Queens Hotel)

Family portrait of the Collings family.

L to R: Ernie Collings, Robert Collings, Maria Saint Collings, Fred "Colly" Collings

Robert and Maria Collings passed when their children were young, leaving behind their children who became orphans at ten and six.

Photograph of Black River Hunt Club with member, long time Bradford resident Fred "Colly" Collings (on far right in photo).

Appearing in Photo:

Harold Scarrow, Percy Stephenson, Bill Melbourne, Bill Cover, Allan "Wink Crake", Fred "Colly" Collings.

The Bradford Hunt Club at Pagent, Ontario.

From left - W.L. Campbell, Fred W. "Colly" Collings, [rest of party unknown]

Photograph of Bradford Celery Kings Hockey Team at Old John St. West Arena (now a town parking lot)

Back Row: Fred "Colly" Collings (Older man in hat and coat), Chris Lotto, D. Kearns, Mike Wannamaker, Austin Bulman, Johnny Bulman, Roger Giffen, Bill Boycoff
Front Row: Mike Kulha, Mike Brinkos, Art Evans, Bruce Collings, Doug Harvey, Don Coats

Photograph of the 1907 Bradford Jr. Lacrosse Team.

Top Row (L to R): Lorne Church, Fred "Collie" Collings, Bob White, Bill Martin, Billie Burgess, Bert Harman, and Sonny Bowser
Middle Row (L to R): Mel Wadlruff, Les Cotton, Norm McKinstry, Jack Sutherland, William Sutherland
Bottom Row (L to R): Frank Coulsin, Ed Wright, W. Donnell, Pat MacGarvey